Zayto opened his eyes and looked around. First glance he thought he was alone in the room. Next glance he found he was wrong Colin was under the table. "What are you doing under the table?"

Colin climbed out and sat up, "what? Oh nothing."

"Right, you have been acting strange since we arrested your father." Zayto said as he stood up, "where is…" zayto started to ask when he noticed the empty spot where their kits were stored. "He left didn't he?"

"No duh. We have been losing bred knights left and right. Word has it that bred knights are pulling out of the training programs as well." Colin stood up. "We are not in a good position Zayto."

"It will be fine." Zayto said as he stood up and rolled up his kit before placing it back on the wall. "Our world is already the best for it. People seem happier."

"Happier is not the word I would use. I mean I was under the table because my oldest brother was looking to thump me for signing father's arrest warrant. He has been for the last week." Colin said as sat down and leaned her head into her knees, "my other brothers want me tested to see if I was somehow missed as a breeder myself and that is the reason for my inadequacy."

"They are just jealous because as a society we have begun moving past the ability to use people just because we view them as different. People will come around." Zayto explained, "let's go and get our meal together and then we can report for training."

Colin held out her hand and they went together out of their bunk. In one week they had gone from a room of seven to a room of four. They would likely get reassigned but he hoped that he and Colin wouldn't get split up. She wasn't a favorite with other bred knights right now and her development towards a competent person would be haunted if she was forced to be with people who thought like the rest of her family.

The commander stopped them "my two most promising first years. I have an assignment for you."

Colin gulped but snapped to attention with Zayto, "yes lord sir!"

Zayto looked discreetly at Colin to see if she was alright. Her emotions were askew and he wasn't sure what was going on.

"A squad arrested a politician in the 5th quadrant last night. The breeder is refusing to be moved."

"We can talk to them." Zayto nodded and redirected their path to a ration bar instead of the good food in the commisary.

Suiting up they headed to the address provided. The 5th quadrant was an exclusive neighborhood for political figures. Knights almost never entered as it was claimed that there was no crime inside the community.

"Colin looked up at the building, "seriously the politician lived in an apartment building?"

Zayto nodded, "these aren't your normal apartments though. This building is basically mini mansions all stacked together in a larger building. It is the perfect place to have an illegal commune if you think about it."

"Just normally when I think of apartments. I don't think luxury and upscale." Colin looked up at the towering building.

"See we aren't so different. Both of us struggle to see how the other sides of our society lives." Zayto nodded as he opened the door. "Third floor is our destination."

Arriving on the third floor they walked into a large room that had tape on the door indicating which apartment they needed to enter.

Colin drew her side arm while Zayto placed his hand on his but didn't draw it. Entering into a grand hall. "Is that a swimming pool?"

Zayto nodded, "it would seem as if it is."

"We had one at the compound but to have one inside a building takes guts." Colin stated as she looked at the elevated loft flooring and the glass sides.

As she was distracted a figure came running towards them wearing very minimal clothes. The figure however stopped when it saw the weapon in her hand.

Both turned to face the oncoming person who held a leg to a table in its arm ready to swing it at whomever got to close.

"That's the person who refused to be taken to the retirement center?" Colin stated as she double checked with Zayto. "He's ancient for a breeder. Especially an illegal one."

Zayto stepped forward and took his hand off his side arm, "we aren't going to hurt you. What is your name?"

The person hid behind a chair with the table leg still ready.

"It's not safe out there. The sky burns orange and fire rains from it." The person stated repeating it several times.

"OH come on, it's perfectly safe out there and you'll be much happier not being locked up in here." Colin called to the person.

Zayto stepped closer, "can we talk? I'm not armed and I don't want to hurt you." Turning to Colin, "put your weapon away."

"He is armed and you know it's not protocol. This guy is loopier than a fruit bat without any fruit." Colin stated.

Zayto went to a window and pulled back a curtain, "look the sky is as it has always been. If you go outside with us you can have lots of fresh air and good food with others."

"The sky burns orange and fire rains from the sky. Demons take all from us." The person stated again.

Zayto turned and looked at the person, "your not talking about now are you?"

Colin moved close to Zayto, "like I said he's loopy. Probably got aggressive because of being so crazy."

Zayto looked at Colin, "not all breeders are crazy. Some aren't grounded to our reality. My sister has the ability to see future events but she is also able to see the world as it is. Either this one is more severe or has lost that ability from years of abuse. I'm certain he is seeing something that we arent."

"Zayto you just said that he is crazy but you still want to talk to him?" Colin protested, "if he doesn't want to go with us we will have to get reinforcements and as you know we are stretched thin."

"Put your weapon away and sit down. We need to meet him where he is." Zayto nodded as he sat on the floor.

Colin reluctantly followed suit. The person set down the table leg and looked at them, "The sky burns orange. Fire rains from the sky. Demons take all from us. Day and night battles rage."

"I hear you. Can you tell me when this is supposed to happen?" Zayto asked calmly to the person.

"You cannot tell the future is not set." The man again spoke.

"What can we do to prepare?" Zayto asked the man.

"We can run, we can leave this place but we will never escape them." The man stated again, "the sky glows orange. Fire rains from the sky."

Zayto nodded, "we will watch for these signs. You will be safer at a center than here though."

"You have listened to the warning. Now I will go with you." The man stood up.

Zayto stood up and Colin followed, "that was...different"

"Sometimes they need to talk before. Other knights may not have known this and this is why he got aggressive." Zayto explained to Colin.

"Knights aren't talkers. How many times do we socialize with those outside our units?" Colin stated as she followed the person out the door.

"That's where our people need to change if we are ever going to change as a people." Zayto shrugged, "I never asked to change our people this much but this is where it has gone and I will help to see it through."

Arriving at the closest retirement center they filled out the necessary paperwork and released him into care.

Pietre entered sporting a nasty bruise to the side of his face. Looking at the person that Zayto had in his custody he dropped his jaw, "how did you manage to get him to come with you?"

"He came willingly." Zayto nodded as the man was taken to be shown a room.

"Again I ask how. We went in there as the 2nd team and he had already roughed up the initial team before beating Mr with a table leg. He was spouting out things about it wasn't safe outside. And raging on and on about the sky raining fire."

"I listened to him. He was prophesying something that is to come. Did you know that some breeders can see beyond what we see. You just have to listen to them. His vision seemed far off so I think we are good."

"Damn I think you missed your calling, you should be a psychologist or something. I heard they are upping the training program for that field with a lot of incentives."

"I think I see myself pretty clearly as a knight. But thank you. If this doesn't work out I might give it a try but I like where I am." Zayto nodded, "do you want to go back to the barracks with us and get your face looked at?"

Pietre looked at Zayto, "it's not that bad is it? I mean it hurts but I'm not dizzy or anything."

Colin winced, "it looks like your face is trying to hatch another face."

Pietre grimaced, "OK back to the barracks I go."

Arriving at the barracks they helped Pietre to the medical ward when they heard the buzzing about breaking with tradition. All the first years were being instructed to meet in the calling room after evening meal.

Colin looked at Zayto, "this is it our numbers have reached critical lows. Something is going to be done about all the people abdicating the ranks."

"It will be fine. We will be fine." Zayto nodded as they reported to a training session."

After evening meal Colin and Pietre stood together in the calling room.

The commander stood before them, "we have lost many good knights over the last few weeks. Leaving because you don't agree with an order will no longer be tolerated with a generous dismissal after tonight. If you do not feel that you can perform the duties of a knight step forward now or any future betrayal will be seen as complete dishonor."

Three bred knights steppes forward and had their uniforms ripped by the commanders ranking knights. "Those of you leaving will jot recieve dishonor but you will be barred from joining any form of service and are hearby asked to leave the city to find work in the villages."

Colin shivered when she saw that two of them had been her older siblings.

Once they were gone zayto grabbed her hand and squeezed it, "they made their beds."

"The remainder of you will have your work cut out for you. In order to bring our numbers back up we are calling back all the knight candidates who failed their exams on a probationary status." The commander nodded. "All remaining first year knights will be responsible for these probationary knights. If you can successfully bring your new charges into a cohesive team you will recieve powerful bonuses to your treasuries and rank increases. 2nd year knights and up may leave. Coordinate with you section leaders on consolidating your ranks as necessary. First years step forward to recieve your new rack tags and rosters of probationary knights."

Zayto looked at Colin as she stepped forward. He hoped upon all hope that she would get a good roster and not a bunch of arrogant bred knight flunkies who would rebreed her bad behaviors. He knew that their days together would be ending though. No reason why the commander would keep them together.

Getting his assignment he noticed he had his same rack but six new recruits. Rushing to his rack he found Colin gathering her belongings, "zayto I'm in the rack across the hall. I have Charge of six commoners, I am going to lose it. I have to admit for a commoner your pretty level headed but these six they had to have flunked for a reason."

"Colin they all flunked for a reason. It is our job to make sure they survive. Go hard on them like you did me but also treat them like they matter and don't demean them. Listen to them and we can work together. Let me see your list, maybe I know some of them from school" zayto held out his list and she held out hers.

Colin looked at Zayto's list, "I don't recognize any of your lists official monikers. But one of them may be a distant cousin of mine because I do remember a Ryse from a family get together but her family left the knight lineage so I can't be certain if it's her or not."

"Looks like you have Uley, I can't atone for his training but he was the one who flunked just after I passed. He's all talk but seems to have a good if not foolish head on him. Other than that you didn't get anyone from my home district."

"Is Uley from your district?" Colin asked wanting to check the validity.

"No, he is from outside the city. But he to my knowledge has been staying with my parents atleast short term." Zayto nodded, "he used all of his money to come for testing but didn't have any left to secure workforce housing or to go back to his own village."

"OH he is a dreamer then. Came on ideals and Ill prepared to take the heat. Great. I am gonna love that only thing worse than a commoner is the wannabes from the rural districts."

"You'll be fine! you aren't the same person you were several months ago. you are a much more accepting person and have made a name for yourself outside your family titles. I am in the bunk right across the hall so we can take each others flak when we need to."